Source: REUTERS/RULA ROUHANA
[Saba Sports News] Hamilton made his official debut with the Ferrari team, completing his first test at the Fiorano circuit. As this test was private, Ferrari did not release Hamilton’s specific lap times. However, according to Italian media reports, Hamilton’s test was not perfect, as he locked up the wheels at both Turn 1 and the hairpin, nearly running off into the gravel both times. In light of this, Hamilton has been calling four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel over the past week, asking how to quickly adapt to Ferrari’s cars. Records show that Hamilton has raced for McLaren and Mercedes since his debut, but both teams are headquartered in the UK, and their car characteristics and racing culture are quite different from those of Italy’s Ferrari team. Hamilton seems to realize this, hence his repeated calls to Vettel for advice. Records show that Vettel, who previously raced for the Red Bull team before joining Ferrari, quickly adapted after his move and eventually became the team’s number one driver. In an interview, Vettel stated that Hamilton, having been in F1 for a long time with much experience and more success than any other F1 driver, should be able to quickly adapt to Ferrari’s environment.